1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a conveyor system having a movable main conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conveyor systems for loading articles into a truck or the like can be either fixed or movable. In a fixed conveyor system, the articles are delivered by the conveyor to a fixed point, such as at an open end of a truck, and then the articles must be put into the desired location within the truck. This necessitates additional handling of the articles.
Movable conveyor systems are available for moving articles into an area, such as into the trailer portion of a truck. One advantage of movable conveyor systems is that the articles are transported directly to a location for unloading without additional handling. It is even possible to move the conveyor to accomodate filling of the truck. One type of movable conveyor is an extendable cantilevered conveyor which can extend into a trailer. The cantilevered conveyor extends horizontally, is mounted on a dock, occupying a great deal of space, and is large, heavy, and expensive due to its cantilevered design. Furthermore, extendable conveyors mounted on a dock cannot compensate for poor truck alignment at the dock door.
A second type of movable conveyor has a first end resting on a floor surface and a second end supported on a wheeled frame. This type of conveyor requires extensive docks or an extended area of floor space over which movement of the conveyor can occur. In addition to requiring a considerable amount of floor space or dock space, the second type of movable conveyors also generally requires that work stations feeding the conveyor be movable as well.
Neither type of movable conveyor system is well suited for handling bulk loading of loose articles such as loose newspapers for recycling.